Let’s take a closer look at the iconic Swiss watch brand Blancpain, which has been in business since 1735. This legendary watch maker has quite a story – so hold on to your seatbelt and prepare to explore the world of Blancpain!
History and Characteristics of Blancpain
The Early Years: 1735
In 1735, Frédéric-Louis Blancpain founded the brand in the Swiss Jura mountains. From its beginnings as a small regional watchmaker, Blancpain quickly developed a reputation for excellence. The brand gained a loyal following for their fine artisanship and attention to detail. Over the next 150 years, the company earned numerous prestigious awards and accolades from international watch fairs.
Modernization and Expansion: 1934-80s
In 1934, the company introduced their first self-winding mechanism, which revolutionized the industry and became the blueprint for modern automatic watches. As the company continued to expand, they began to produce iconic models such as the legendary Fifty Fathoms dive watch and the elegant Villeret collection.
Back To The Future: 2000s
In the 2000s, the company again demonstrated its innovative spirit by releasing several new collections, including their breakthrough high-end model, the Léman Automatique. This remarkable watch was the first to combine both manual and automatic winding functions.
Present and Future: Today-2035
Today, Blancpain is known for their audacious use of scarce materials and ambitious designs. The company regularly pushes the boundaries of luxury watchmaking with their creative approach to modern horology. As the brand looks to the future, expect to see even more groundbreaking innovations from this trailblazing watchmaker.
Collection Of Blancpain Watches
Villeret Collection
The Villeret Collection offers classic, timeless timepieces that are sure to be treasured possessions. These timepieces feature intricately decorated cases and hand-finished movements with in-house complications. The collection includes a number of popular models such as the Villeret Ultraplate and the Villeret Grand Date.
Fifty Fathoms Collection
The iconic Fifty Fathoms Collection is comprised of sleek and hardy diver’s watches. These timepieces feature precision engineering and durable components, making them ideal for deep-sea diving. Popular models in the collection include the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe and the Fifty Fathoms Automatique.
Léman Collection
The Léman Collection combines audacious design with a mix of classic and modern elements. These timepieces feature intricate details and innovative movements, including the world’s first automatic and manual winding combination. Popular models in the collection include the Léman Flyback Chronograph and the Léman GMT.
With a long and storied history, Blancpain has made an indelible mark on the watchmaking world. From their innovative self-winding mechanism to their modern design, the company continues to push the boundaries of luxury watchmaking. And for their loyal fans, they can be sure that Blancpain will keep creating remarkable timepieces for years to come.
46°34′47″N 6°12′47″E / 46.57977°N 6.21312°E / 46.57977; 6.21312
{Blancpain SA} (French pronunciation: [blɑ̃pɛ̃]) is a Swiss premium timepiece manufacturer, based in Paudex/Le Brassus, Switzerland. It creates, manufactures, distributes, and sells prestige and luxury mechanical watches. Founded by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, Switzerland in 1735, Blancpain watches is the most enduring watch name in the world. Blancpain became a subsidiary of the Swiss Swatch Group since 1992, and is recognized as a top-tier watch brand.
It is best known for its Fifty Fathoms diving watch introduced in 1953, and also its 1735 Grand complication wristwatch introduced in 1991.
Jehan-Jacques Blancpain began producing watches in 1735 in Villeret, Switzerland. He founded the Blancpain brand, establishing his first workshop on the upper floor of his residence at Villeret, in the modern Bernese Jura.
In 1815, Frédéric-Louis Blancpain, the great-grandson of Jehan-Jacques, who was leader of the family business at the time, modernized production methods and transformed the traditional craft workshop into an industry able to serial production. By substituting the crown-wheel mechanism with a cylinder escapement, Frédéric-Louis introduced a major innovation into the watchmaking world.
In the second half of the 19th century, as technological advancement took hold, the prices of watchmaking products were dropping and many workshops were fated to close down. To confront American competition, in 1865 Blancpain built a two-storey factory by the River Suze and made use of water power to supply the electricity needed for its production processes. By updating its practices and concentrating on top-of-the-line products, Blancpain became one of the few watchmaking firms to stay active in Villeret.
In 1926, the Manufacture entered into a partnership with John Harwood and started marketing the first automatic wristwatch. The year 1932 saw the end of the family’s management of the company, which had lasted for over two centuries of time. On the death of Frédéric-Emile Blancpain, his only daughter, Berthe-Nellie, did not want to go into watchmaking. The following year, the two staff members of the staff who had been closest to Frédéric-Emile, Betty Fiechter and André Léal, acquired the business. As there was no longer any member of the Blancpain family in control of the firm, the two partners were obliged by law as it stood at the time to change the company name. The company would be called Rayville S.A., succ. de Blancpain, “Rayville” being a phonetic anagram of Villeret. Despite this change of name, the identity of the Manufacture was perpetuated, and the features of the brand were preserved.
Betty Fiechter stayed head of Blancpain until 1950, when her nephew, Jean-Jacques Fiechter, joined her. At the end of the 1950s, Rayville-Blancpain was producing more than 100,000 watches per year. To make it possible to meet the constantly increasing demand, the firm became part of the SSIH, coming together with such brands as Omega SA, Tissot and Lemania. In 1971, the company’s annual production hit the all-time peak of 220,000 watches. During the quartz crisis of the 1970s, SSIH had to cut down its production by half and to sell off part of its assets.
In 1983, SSIH sold the Rayville-Blancpain name to Jacques Piguet, son of Frédéric Piguet and director of the company of that name, and Jean-Claude Biver, at that time employed by the SSIH. The firm established production at Le Brassus, in the Joux Valley, and from then on operated under the name of Blancpain SA.
In 1992, the SSIH purchased Blancpain back for 60 million Swiss Francs. At that time, Blancpain had annual sales of 50 million Swiss Francs. Jean-Claude Biver remained as head of Blancpain until 2002. Marc Hayek, the grandson of the Swatch Group’s creator and chairman, Nicolas Hayek (1928–2010), has been leading Blancpain since 2002.
Later, SSIH became renamed as the Swatch Group, and in July 2010, Frédéric Piguet SA, also owned by Swatch Group, was merged into the firm Blancpain SA. Currently, Blancpain is an active member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH.
One of Blancpain’s corporate slogans is “Blancpain has never made a quartz watch and never will.”
According to their advertising slogans, the company has never made quartz watches in the past and has proclaimed in its advertisements that it never will, nor have they ever manufactured watches with digital displays. In comparison to a large watchmaker like Rolex, which makes about 2,000 watches a day, Blancpain makes fewer than thirty watches per day. Each watch is manufactured by a single watchmaker.
The Villeret range collection is marketed as Blancpain’s most traditional collection. Titled after the birthplace of Blancpain, the Villeret collection has been a flagship line of
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